Re: portfolio assessment

Eugene Matusov (ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu)
Mon, 1 Mar 1999 20:22:05 -0500

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Hi Michelle and everybody--

Let me go through your message and address questions you asked.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Lee & Brad Lambert <ezekiel who-is-at sprint.ca>
To: ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu <ematusov@UDel.Edu>
Date: Monday, March 01, 1999 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: portfolio assessment
=20
=20
=20
=20
----------
From: Michelle Lee & Brad Lambert <ezekiel who-is-at sprint.ca>
To: U of O Learning processes in the educational setting Listserv =
<PED3101-L who-is-at mercury.cc.uottawa.ca>
Subject: Re: portfolio assessment
Date: 1999=A6~3=A4=EB1=A4=E9 AM 09:53
=20
Hi everyone!
I agree with Matusov's take on assessment in general - that is with =
regards to the politics of it - but I don't really understand his =
argument against portfolios in particular. First, how can any assessment =
"be embedded in the practice itself?" Doesn't assessment by definition =
imply some type of reflection on the value of a completed process or =
product even if it is only partially completed?=20

Eugene: In my view, there are different types of reflection: some =
emedded and some disembedded and some probably both. There is a type of =
reflection that is embedded in the flow of activity or events. For =
example, when I drive a car and talk with my wife, I do a lot of =
decision making reflection on how I drive but this type of reflection =
and decision amking is embedded in the flow of events and I may not even =
notice it. Our culture, unlike many others, is not very good on =
recorgnizing importance of embedded type of reflection or =
reflection-in-action. Often we expect reflection to be out-of-action. =
And we (our culture) often value this type of reflection as the only =
possible (and the only visible).=20

Or, doesn't it imply some type of objective or "outside" perspective =
even if it is simply the learner stepping back and looking at the =
practice? Maybe I don't understand Portfolio assessment the way Matusov =
does. Anyway, portfolio assessment seems to be the most fair type of =
assessment I am yet to come across, especially if learners can be =
encouraged to choose their own best loved efforts and submit those =
against assessment criteria which they helped establish (e.g., rubrics). =
What better way is there to engage young learners in a reality they will =
most certainly face as adults seeking employment? And, in asking this =
question I think I see my biggest objection to Matusov's e-mail - he =
doesn't appear to offer any alternative.

Eugene: I did it but in another email. My alternative is to realize =
that so called thrust for assessment does not inherently come out of =
learning/guiding processes but it is a tool of negotation among =
communities-stakeholders for getting resources and support. Realization =
of this fact may lead to different solutions like involving all parties =
(including students) in designing this tool of negotation and expecting =
that this tool of negotation to change with changing the negotiation. =
Anohter implication can be protecting of learning/guiding processes from =
negative side-effects of such negotation tool as divorced assessment =
including protfolio. Let me give, probably, the most bizzare form of =
portfolio assessement of a teaching process is putting video camera in a =
teddy bear to assess how good the babysitter is with your child. On =
smaller scale, in the less bizzare froms of portfolio assessments, the =
survallance and recording of "mistakes" is still there (as well as =
creating a competition). These are negative side-effects. As =
recognized as such, I think it is possible to deal with them (to =
counter-act) by shielding learning/guiding processes as much as =
possible, knowing that the assessment has another important role (i.e., =
negotiation tool). There are porbably some other implications as well.
=20
And so Professor Matusov, we may have not been privy to all of your =
correspondence - could you please enlighten us as to how you think =
assessment should take place in our schools and ultimately our =
workplaces?

Eugene: I'm not sure that I'm "enlightening" anybody (maybe, on the =
contrary, obscuring) but I'm ready to share my thoughts :-) As one of =
educational stakeholders (i.e., as an educator myself, as an =
academician, as a student of Spanish, as a parent, and, finaly, as just =
plain folk), I'm against using divorced assessment for creating (or =
better to say contributing to creating) failure and disabilities in =
students as, I believe, it often occurs now. Divorced assessment can be =
used, for example, to check possibility for discrimantion or some other =
important goals (including accountability). But such "indangarious =
species" as learning and guiding should be preserved. As to workplaces, =
it depends on workplace -- many of workplaces do not have any divorced =
assessments. Many of those that have know that "their bottom line" is =
not assessement but profit or some other "inherent" criteria. =20

What do you think?

Take care,

Eugene
=20
Thank You - Brad Lambert - University of Ottawa
----------
> From: Barbara Graves <bgraves who-is-at UOTTAWA.CA>
> To: Multiple recipients of list PED3101-L =
<PED3101-L who-is-at mercury.cc.uottawa.ca>
> Subject: Re: portfolio assessment
> Date: 1999=A6~3=A4=EB1=A4=E9 AM 06:59
>=20
> Hi Everyone
> For your interest, The following response was sent to a discussion =
group on
> learning and schools by Eugene Matusov an educational researcher =
currently
> at the university of Delaware. He presents a provocative and =
interesting
> take on why he is against portfolio assessment.
>=20
> barbara
>=20
> >Resent-Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 17:59:48 -0800 (PST)
> >X-Authentication-Warning: weber.ucsd.edu: procmail set sender to
> >xmca-request who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu using -f
> >X-Authentication-Warning: weber.ucsd.edu: Processed from queue
> >/usr/spool/mqueue/xqueue
> >Reply-To: <ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu>
> >From: "Eugene Matusov" <ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu>
> >To: <xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu>
> >Subject: RE: portfolio assessment
> >Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 20:55:26 -0500
>=20
> >> Eugene,
> >>
> >> Can you tell us more about why you're against portfolio =
assessment?
> >>
> >> Charles Nelson
> >> c.nelson who-is-at mail.utexas.edu
> >>
>=20
>=20
> >
> >There are several reasons that I don't like any form of =
predefined
> >assessment in general and portfolio in specific. First, my =
general reasons:
> >
> >1) I think the only "authentic" assessment of learning is that is =
embedded
> >in the practice itself and can't be separated from the =
participants, events,
> >and contexts. When people learn how to speak, to ride a bicycle, =
to become
> >lovers, to tease others, to report on neighbors to the =
authorities (you name
> >it :-) they do not need any "assessment" of their learning. When =
a child
> >learns to read at home, parents know the progress by simply =
perceiving how
> >the child participates in the reading activities: whether s/he =
asks to read,
> >enjoys reading, tries to read him/herself, ask to go to the =
library, talks
> >about the books, tells stories, and so on.
> >
> >2) Any form of inscribing so-called "learning progress" can be =
(potentially?
> >no, actually!) very harmful for the learners by focusing (i.e., =
constructing
> >the focus) on learner's mistakes, monopolizing the definition of =
learning
> >(and non-learning), imposing learning agendas, creating =
disabilities.
> >
> >3) The need for assessment separated from the activities =
themselves is not
> >inherent in learning (as we saw) but in a specific form of =
negations of
> >communities involved in formal education. I have a strong claim =
that any
> >assessment divorced from the activity itself (from its flow) is =
harmful for
> >the learners (newcomers) on way or another (or at least, so far I =
couldn't
> >find any counter example or argument). I can relax my claim a =
bit if we
> >stop searching for "the authentic assessment" (see below).
> >
> >4) Current formal education represents a rather unique situation =
of learning
> >when many people- and communities- stakeholders are not directly
> >present/involved in the learning/guiding processes with the =
students.
> >People who provide kids (i.e., parents), people who control =
resources (state
> >and federal government, districts, boards, taxpayers, business, =
politicians,
> >colleges) are not in the classroom themselves.
> >
> >5) Assessments divorced from the activities are nothing more than =
"boundary
> >objects" of power struggle between education stakeholder =
communities. I my
> >view, there are mainly two players known: government and =
businesses.
> >Parents, college professors, taxpayers are small fish. Currently =
government
> >has much-much more power of control (like a diffuse monopoly) =
than anybody
> >else but businesses in US are getting more and more now (there is =
a momentum
> >building). The issue of assessment is the issue of getting =
resources (cf.
> >current discourses on accountability and quality). The teacher =
is viewed as
> >a conductor (i.e., slave) of the most powerful stakeholders. It =
is
> >difficult for a slave to teach kids to be free (but, of course, =
not
> >impossible).
> >
> >6) It will be much better for learners if all educational =
stakeholders will
> >realize that their thrust for assessment divorced from the =
practice and
> >learning processes is a power and negotiation tool that is NOT =
inherently
> >rooted in the learning processes.
> >
> >7) If this realization happens, people may start thinking how to =
protect
> >learners and learning processes from the assessment so needed by =
the
> >stakeholder communities of practices for their own negotiations. =
Also they
> >may start expecting that the divorced assessment is a very =
dynamic object
> >reflecting a current distribution of power and a state of =
negotiation among
> >them (rather than the "authentic assessment" -- if you want real
> >authenticity, engage with real people, i.e., students).
> >
> >As to why I don't like portfolio assessment is specific:
> >
> >1) It seems to be another way of exploitation of teachers by =
colonization of
> >their time. It also another way to make teachers guilty.
> >
> >2) To have any meaningful portfolio, it should become a means of
> >communication among educational stakeholders rather than a tool =
of
> >"authentic" learning assessment.
> >
> >3) I believe that it is communication creates its tools rather =
than tools
> >create communication. I was really impressed by Yrjo Engstrom's =
work on
> >medical records (i.e., "portfolio assessment of patents' =
disease") in
> >Finland. He showed very convincingly that without institutional =
support of
> >communication among doctors, medical records are not very useful =
(if not
> >harmful).
> >
> >What do you think?
> >
> >Eugene
> >
>=20
> Barbara Graves
> Faculty of Education
> University of Ottawa
> 145 Jean-Jacques Lussier
> Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5
>=20
> email: bgraves who-is-at uottawa.ca
> phone: (613) 562-5800 ext 4106
=20

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">

Hi Michelle and = everybody--
 
Let me go through your message and address questions = you=20 asked.
-----Original = Message-----
From:=20 Michelle Lee & Brad Lambert <ezekiel@sprint.ca>
To: = ematusov@UDel.Edu <ematusov@UDel.Edu>
Date:=20 Monday, March 01, 1999 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: portfolio=20 assessment



----------
From:=20 Michelle Lee & Brad Lambert <ezekiel@sprint.ca>
To: U of O  Learning processes in the = educational=20 setting Listserv <PED3101-L who-is-at mercury.cc.uottawa.ca>
Subject: Re: portfolio assessment
Date:=20 1999¦~3¤ë1¤é AM 09:53

Hi everyone!
I agree with Matusov's take on assessment = in general=20 - that is with regards to the politics of it - but I don't really = understand=20 his argument against portfolios in particular. First, how can any = assessment=20 "be embedded in the practice itself?" Doesn't assessment = by=20 definition imply some type of reflection on the value of a completed = process=20 or product even if it is only partially completed?=20

Eugene: In my view, there are different types of = reflection:=20 some emedded and some disembedded and some probably both.  = There is a=20 type of reflection that is embedded in the flow of activity or = events. =20 For example, when I drive a car and talk with my wife, I do a lot of = decision making reflection on how I drive but this type of = reflection and=20 decision amking is embedded in the flow of events and I may not even = notice=20 it. Our culture, unlike many others, is not very good on = recorgnizing=20 importance of embedded type of reflection or = reflection-in-action. =20 Often we expect reflection to be out-of-action.  And we (our = culture)=20 often value this type of reflection as the only possible (and the = only=20 visible).

Or,=20 doesn't it imply some type of objective or "outside" = perspective=20 even if it is simply the learner stepping back and looking at the = practice?=20 Maybe I don't understand Portfolio assessment the way Matusov does. = Anyway,=20 portfolio assessment seems to be the most fair type of assessment I = am yet=20 to come across, especially if learners can be encouraged to choose = their own=20 best loved efforts and submit those against assessment criteria = which they=20 helped establish (e.g., rubrics). What better way is there to engage = young=20 learners in a reality they will most certainly face as adults = seeking=20 employment? And, in asking this question I think I see my biggest = objection=20 to Matusov's e-mail - he doesn't appear to offer any=20 alternative.

Eugene: I=20 did it but in another email.  My alternative is to realize that = so=20 called thrust for assessment does not inherently come out of=20 learning/guiding processes but it is a tool of negotation among=20 communities-stakeholders for getting resources and support. =20 Realization of this fact may lead to different solutions like = involving all=20 parties (including students) in designing this tool of negotation = and=20 expecting that this tool of negotation to change with changing the=20 negotiation.  Anohter implication can be protecting of = learning/guiding=20 processes from negative side-effects of such negotation tool as = divorced=20 assessment including protfolio.  Let me give, probably, the = most=20 bizzare form of portfolio assessement of a teaching process is = putting video=20 camera in a teddy bear to assess how good the babysitter is with = your=20 child.  On smaller scale, in the less bizzare froms of = portfolio=20 assessments, the survallance and recording of "mistakes" = is still=20 there (as well as creating a competition).  These are negative=20 side-effects.  As recognized as such, I think it is possible to = deal=20 with them (to counter-act) by shielding learning/guiding processes = as much=20 as possible, knowing that the assessment has another important role = (i.e.,=20 negotiation tool).  There are porbably some other implications = as=20 well.

And so Professor Matusov, we may have not been privy to = all of=20 your correspondence - could you please enlighten us as to how you = think=20 assessment should take place in our schools and ultimately our=20 workplaces?

Eugene:=20 I'm not sure that I'm "enlightening" anybody (maybe, on = the=20 contrary, obscuring) but I'm ready to share my thoughts :-)  As = one of=20 educational stakeholders (i.e., as an educator myself, as an = academician, as=20 a student of Spanish, as a parent, and, finaly, as just plain folk), = I'm=20 against using divorced assessment for creating (or better to say=20 contributing to creating) failure and disabilities in students as, I = believe, it often occurs now.  Divorced assessment can be used, = for=20 example, to check possibility for discrimantion or some other = important=20 goals (including accountability).  But such "indangarious=20 species" as learning and guiding should be preserved.  As = to=20 workplaces, it depends on workplace -- many of workplaces do not = have any=20 divorced assessments.  Many of those that have know that = "their=20 bottom line" is not assessement but profit or some other=20 "inherent" criteria. =20

What do=20 you think?

Take=20 care,

Eugene

Thank You - Brad Lambert - University of=20 Ottawa
----------
> From: Barbara Graves <bgraves who-is-at UOTTAWA.CA>
> To:=20 Multiple recipients of list PED3101-L <PED3101-L who-is-at mercury.cc.uottawa.ca>
> Subject: Re: portfolio = assessment
> Date:=20 1999¦~3¤ë1¤é AM 06:59
> =
> Hi = Everyone
>=20 For your interest, The following response was sent to a discussion = group=20 on
> learning and schools by Eugene Matusov an educational = researcher=20 currently
> at the university of Delaware. He presents a = provocative=20 and interesting
> take on why he is against portfolio=20 assessment.
>
> barbara
>
> = >Resent-Date: Tue,=20 23 Feb 1999 17:59:48 -0800 (PST)
> = >X-Authentication-Warning:=20 weber.ucsd.edu: procmail set sender to
> >xmca-request who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu using=20 -f
> >X-Authentication-Warning: weber.ucsd.edu: Processed = from=20 queue
> >/usr/spool/mqueue/xqueue
> >Reply-To: = <ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu>
>=20 >From: "Eugene Matusov" <ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu>
>=20 >To: <xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu>
> >Subject: RE: portfolio = assessment
>=20 >Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 20:55:26 -0500
>
> >>=20 Eugene,
> >>
> >> Can you tell us more about = why=20 you're against portfolio assessment?
> >>
> = >>=20 Charles Nelson
> >> c.nelson who-is-at mail.utexas.edu
>=20 >>
>
>
> >
> >There are = several=20 reasons that I don't like any form of predefined
> = >assessment in=20 general and portfolio in specific. First, my general = reasons:
>=20 >
> >1) I think the only "authentic" = assessment of=20 learning is that is embedded
> >in the practice itself and = can't be=20 separated from the participants, events,
> >and contexts.=20  When people learn how to speak, to ride a bicycle, to = become
>=20 >lovers, to tease others, to report on neighbors to the = authorities (you=20 name
> >it :-) they do not need any "assessment" = of their=20 learning.  When a child
> >learns to read at home, = parents=20 know the progress by simply perceiving how
> >the child=20 participates in the reading activities: whether s/he asks to = read,
>=20 >enjoys reading, tries to read him/herself, ask to go to the = library,=20 talks
> >about the books, tells stories, and so on.
> = >
> >2) Any form of inscribing so-called "learning=20 progress" can be (potentially?
> >no, actually!) very = harmful=20 for the learners by focusing (i.e., constructing
> >the = focus) on=20 learner's mistakes, monopolizing the definition of learning
> = >(and=20 non-learning), imposing learning agendas, creating = disabilities.
>=20 >
> >3) The need for assessment separated from the = activities=20 themselves is not
> >inherent in learning (as we saw) but = in a=20 specific form of negations of
> >communities involved in = formal=20 education.  I have a strong claim that any
> = >assessment=20 divorced from the activity itself (from its flow) is harmful = for
>=20 >the learners (newcomers) on way or another (or at least, so far = I=20 couldn't
> >find any counter example or argument).  I = can=20 relax my claim a bit if we
> >stop searching for "the=20 authentic assessment" (see below).
> >
> >4) = Current=20 formal education represents a rather unique situation of = learning
>=20 >when many people- and communities- stakeholders are not = directly
>=20 >present/involved in the learning/guiding processes with the=20 students.
> >People who provide kids (i.e., parents), = people who=20 control resources (state
> >and federal government, = districts,=20 boards, taxpayers, business, politicians,
> >colleges) are = not in=20 the classroom themselves.
> >
> >5) Assessments = divorced=20 from the activities are nothing more than "boundary
>=20 >objects" of power struggle between education stakeholder=20 communities.  I my
> >view, there are mainly two = players=20 known: government and businesses.
> >Parents, college = professors,=20 taxpayers are small fish.  Currently government
> >has = much-much more power of control (like a diffuse monopoly) than=20 anybody
> >else but businesses in US are getting more and = more now=20 (there is a momentum
> >building).  The issue of = assessment is=20 the issue of getting resources (cf.
> >current discourses = on=20 accountability and quality).  The teacher is viewed as
> = >a=20 conductor (i.e., slave) of the most powerful stakeholders.  It=20 is
> >difficult for a slave to teach kids to be free (but, = of=20 course, not
> >impossible).
> >
> >6) It = will be=20 much better for learners if all educational stakeholders = will
>=20 >realize that their thrust for assessment divorced from the = practice=20 and
> >learning processes is a power and negotiation tool = that is=20 NOT inherently
> >rooted in the learning processes.
> = >
> >7) If this realization happens, people may start = thinking=20 how to protect
> >learners and learning processes from the=20 assessment so needed by the
> >stakeholder communities of = practices=20 for their own negotiations.  Also they
> >may start = expecting=20 that the divorced assessment is a very dynamic object
> = >reflecting=20 a current distribution of power and a state of negotiation = among
>=20 >them (rather than the "authentic assessment" -- if you = want=20 real
> >authenticity, engage with real people, i.e.,=20 students).
> >
> >As to why I don't like portfolio = assessment is specific:
> >
> >1) It seems to be = another=20 way of exploitation of teachers by colonization of
> >their = time.=20 It also another way to make teachers guilty.
> >
> = >2) To=20 have any meaningful portfolio, it should become a means of
>=20 >communication among educational stakeholders rather than a tool=20 of
> >"authentic" learning assessment.
>=20 >
> >3) I believe that it is communication creates its = tools=20 rather than tools
> >create communication.  I was = really=20 impressed by Yrjo Engstrom's work on
> >medical records = (i.e.,=20 "portfolio assessment of patents' disease") in
>=20 >Finland.  He showed very convincingly that without = institutional=20 support of
> >communication among doctors, medical records = are not=20 very useful (if not
> >harmful).
> >
> = >What do=20 you think?
> >
> >Eugene
> >
> =
>=20 Barbara Graves
> Faculty of Education
> University of=20 Ottawa
> 145 Jean-Jacques Lussier
> Ottawa, Ontario K1N=20 6N5
>
> email: bgraves who-is-at uottawa.ca
> phone:=20 (613) 562-5800 ext 4106

= ------=_NextPart_000_0056_01BE6421.2CA40E40--